Generally, the prior art is aware of numerous types of racing and shooting games which rely on speed and accuracy to determine a winner. Prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,950 issued on Oct. 22, 1996 to R. Senna entitled URINAL ARCADE GAME shows a water gun based game where contestants shoot a water gun into a replica urinal to become the first person to obtain a given water level in the simulated urinal and where a win display of lights and sounds is then provided to notify a winner. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,229 issued on Nov. 22, 1994 to K. Suzuki entitled SHOOTING GAME MACHINE describes shooting a target projected onto a screen via a mirror using a light beam, photographing the screen with a video camera, and determining the x-y position coordinates to determine if the target has been hit. As one can see by the above and other patents, there are many structures in the prior art which pertain in general to racing and target apparatus. As one can ascertain from the above patents, however, the prior art devices are either relatively simple and do not disclose a sequential light-based target system, or are complicated and difficult to construct, employing camera devices and screen projections for determining target hits. As one can ascertain, it is a requirement the device serves to amuse the users of such device while presenting a reasonable display to enable the user to participate according to the nature of the display. Such devices may be employed for example at amusement parks, carnivals and other areas where games of chance and skill are employed in general.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a light-based sequential target racing game which also utilizes unique display characteristics which operate to attract participants and to enable such participants to the apparatus and to enable such participants to operate the apparatus after the start of the race.